Pinewood Shepperton carries on growing in 2012

Pinewood Shepperton studios, home of British classics such as Carry On Doctor, starring Hattie Jacques, Barbara Windsor and Kenneth Williams, enjoyed a return to profit in the first six months of the year.

Pre-tax earnings were £3m, compared with a £5.4m loss in the six months to the end of last December, as revenues climbed from £24.6m to £27.1m.

What a Carry On: Hattie Jacques, Barbara Windsor and Kenneth Williams in a scene filmed at the studios

The improvement was partly down to rising income in its film studios, which were used to film and produce Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond film.

The result was also flattered by a £7.1m charge taken in the last six months of 2011, when the Government refused planning permission for a £200m film set.

But Pinewood (which closed at 273.5p) has finished clearing a separate site earmarked for a new 45,000 sq ft studio and expects to submit a planning application soon.

TV revenues declined from £3.6m to £2.5m because studios were being used for films. Boss Ivan Dunleavy said the number of film productions slated for next year was ‘encouraging’ and declared a 0.5p interim dividend.